Doubling donations to the Horn of Africa

The Australian Government today pledged to match, dollar for dollar, donations by Australians to help people in the Horn of Africa.

The situation in the Horn of Africa remains dire, with the UN estimating 750,000 people could die in the coming four months without a scale up of humanitarian aid, and that 13 million drought-stricken people require urgent help.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said Australians are renowned for their generosity, and now the Government will match — dollar for dollar — money raised through Horn of Africa appeals by AusAID-accredited non-government organisations from now until the end of November.

'We cannot wait for the situation to worsen before responding,' said Mr Rudd.

'Already the Australian Government is making a difference as the third-largest donor to the crisis, but now we will double every dollar raised by agencies already working in the Horn of Africa, making the public's contributions go even further.

'I call on all Australians, from individuals to businesses, to donate whatever they can spare during October and November to help us save more lives. The organisations involved all have a proven track record and are already helping those affected by the famine,' Mr Rudd said.

The Australian Government is also working to address the longer-term issues of food insecurity in the region, including improving maize and legume crop productivity of up to 500,000 small farms across east Africa through a program by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.

More information on the Horn of Africa Dollar For Dollar Appeal can be found at www.ausaid.gov.au